Loose wheel nut.
 

Yesterday I admit to going to a Harley Davidson dealer for a test ride on a bike.
I have no intention of getting one (especially after riding one) and went with a mate who wanted a test ride. Honest!

Any way the reason I'm writing this is that whilst I was waiting I noticed that my rear wheel nut was loose on my Duke. I thought that the nice HD mechanics would very kindly give it a tighten whilst I was out on the test ride. Not such luck! I thought they might not have the correct size nut but the reason they gave for not helping me was that if they tightened it and something happened then I could sue them.
Is the world gone mad?

All wheel nuts now torqued up.

How the F*ck was your wheel nut loose?

I have a clip on it but it I was still able to turn it a quarter of a turn. The nuts that I had were aftermarket aluminum ones. I have now changed them back to the original steel ones.

The spindle has a retaining hole for the clip, was the clip correctly seated?

176NM Torque shouldn't come undone even without a clip.

+1 Chaz. In fact at correct torque it is very hard to get the freekin things off even with a breaker bar and two of you.

That doesn't sound good Col, when was the last time the nuts were off, and did you tighten them yourself or did someone else do it for you?

I checked mine this morning just to be on the safe side and they are both rock solid. I've now done over 14,000 miles on the Hypermotard, and mine went on there at about 3,000 miles and have been off once since to change tyres; I removed and refitted the wheels off myself so I know I torqued them up right!

I had the wheel off last year but this was actually the smaller of the two nuts on the LHS so I'm not sure when this one would have been off. Only when I changed the nuts over a couple of years ago I guess.

Have you checked that your sprocket holder hasn't backed out the cush drives onto the castellated section that adjusts the chain? That might give enough play to loosen it up.